Current trends in the transformation of the institutional environment of maritime transport in Ukraine

The article identifies the main trends in the transformation of Ukraine’s maritime transport institutional environment in 2026 and assesses their economic consequences for the port services market. These trends are reflected in the bills on berth leases in port privatization, concessions of port hydraulic structures (No. 15077), port protection (No. 15063), and merchant shipping (No. 15584 and No. 15584-1). The research methods are institutional analysis based on new institutional economics and transaction cost economics, the theory of natural monopoly regulation, and a comparative regulatory analysis of the bills against the current EU maritime acquis. The empirical base comprises the bill texts and accompanying documents published on the official portal of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, data from the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, and outcomes of port privatization and concession deals. The results show a dominant trend of selective de-competition in port asset allocation: exemptions from auctions and tenders are proposed to speed up investor entry, which diverges from the general state property regime, where, since 6 June 2026, leased assets may be sold only at auction. In parallel, the state monopoly over pilotage is strengthened without the financial transparency required by EU law, and the key economic requirements of the EU acquis, namely separate accounting of public funding and cost-related pilotage charges, are not reflected in Bill No. 15584-1. Several bills simultaneously claim port dues revenue without a common allocation methodology, which threatens dredging financing. The scientific novelty lies in the “conditional exemption” model, which allows direct awards of port assets only together with a market test, independent valuation, measurable commitments, access regulation, and financial transparency. Practically, the results can inform the finalization of the bills before the second reading. Further research could include a quantitative assessment of the impact of these changes on port dues revenue, dredging finance, and port call costs compared with Romanian ports. Keywords: institutional environment, maritime transport, port infrastructure, concession, pilotage, port dues, transaction costs, EU acquis.